Verizon Nearing Completion of Fiber-Optic Network in Lower Manhattan

A little under two months after Hurricane Sandy, Verizon (News - Alert) has completed the installation of fiber optic cables between its two critical central switching offices, as well as to buildings that lost service due to the storm. This allows Verizon to not only restore service to office buildings in lower Manhattan that were affected by the hurricane, but also allows the network provider to modernize communications capabilities for its customers.

According to Verizon, the completion of this project, which already has more than 5,000 miles of fiber strands in place, will provide the area with the "nation's most advanced communications infrastructure, providing customers with the highest level of service and reliability." This modernization project will also make it easy for Verizon to update the communications infrastructure with new capabilities for the foreseeable future.

"We are doing years' worth of work in just a few weeks' time, and doing it round the clock," said Martin Burvill, senior vice president of global operations for Verizon Enterprise Solutions. "We are keenly focused on transforming the communications infrastructure of lower Manhattan with this new architecture in a way that fully benefits our residential and business customers."

During the installation process, Verizon has provided its customers with alternate communications solutions. For example, the company has provided call forwarding capabilities to about 7,000 lines of consumers and small businesses, allowing calls to be automatically forwarded to a working landline or cell phone number, while providing more than 2,600 Verizon Wireless Home Phone Connect and Verizon 4G LTE (News - Alert) Jetpack Mobile Hotspot devices at no charge.

As of now, Verizon estimates that more than 70 percent of the affected buildings served by its Broad Street switching office have fiber-optic cables to replace the badly damaged copper services and as such many buildings downtown already have service.

Verizon also recently appointed Kathryn A. Tesija to its board of directors, bringing total board membership to 12. Tesija is currently the executive vice president of Target (News - Alert).

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